Risk of future attacks here, admits PM

By Tom AllardOctober 21 2002

The Prime Minister, John Howard, believes there is a danger that a Bali-style terrorist attack could take place in Australia, but yesterday gave a lukewarm response to the idea of a new "department of homeland security" to deal with the threat.

"I don't want to sound alarmist but we are living in a different world, and something like what occurred in Bali last Saturday night could happen in Australia," Mr Howard said.

"We don't have the network of terrorist groups as exist in Indonesia and other parts of the world, but I can't look any Australian in the face and give them a guarantee it won't happen here."

The alarming assessment of the domestic security situation comes as the Federal Government reviews all its counter-terrorism capabilities, from intelligence-gathering to health services, criminal law and military capability.

The NSW Premier, Bob Carr, wants Australia to take its lead from the United States and institute a new department of homeland security that would oversee the government agencies and activities that work to counter terrorism.

The department would unite armed forces, state and federal police, intelligence agencies and emergency services under a single command.

Mr Carr said the minister for homeland security would "ensure a tight re-arrangement of these authorities and still protect our civil liberties".

"Australia could come under attack at any time," he said. "Terror has moved closer. We must be ready to defend our people."

While agreeing with Mr Carr on the possibility of terrorist attacks here, Mr Howard was sceptical about the merits of a new department. He said he was prepared to look at the idea, but added: "I don't think any Australian should imagine that you build a protection against terrorism by changing the name of the bureaucracy."

Part of Mr Howard's reassessment of counter-terrorism capabilities following the Bali bombings is a review of the intelligence material received in the lead-up to the tragedy.

He vowed yesterday that the review would be exhaustive.

"I'm more than willing to have the whole process examined. I hope to get the first cut of all of that during the coming week, and one of the things I will look at again is the adequacy of the structures."

The Opposition Leader, Simon Crean, said he would ask more questions in Parliament about the stronger US travel warning on Indonesia and what happened to that intelligence which mentioned Bali as a possible terrorist target 14 days before the attack.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, said that intelligence was based on what would happen if the Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir were arrested. As that had not happened at that time, there was no point changing travel advice.